Unsinkable
by RFLupin
Summary: It's 1912, and the Weasley boys are on board the infamous Titanic on its maiden voyage. What will happen when the ship strikes an iceberg, dooming more than half the passengers? AU, BWOC, HPTitanic crossover UPDATE: 4.25.07, chap 2 ON HOLD for now
1. A New Beginning

**Title:** Unsinkable

**Author:** R. F. Lupin

**Rating:** R

**Warnings:** bad language, sex, death

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, just borrowing. I don't have any money, so don't sue me.

**Summary:** It's 1912, and the Weasley kids are aboard the famous Titanic, on their way to a new life in America. What will happen to them when the ship strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic, dooming more than half of the passengers? (AU, BWOC)

**A/N:** I thought I'd put together two of my loves: HP and the story of the _Titanic_. It's going to be a fairly short fic, only six or seven chapters. I apologize in advance for any German grammar/spelling mistakes (English ones, too) because even though I've been taking it for five years, I still don't know a lot of stuff. Translations will be either in context or at the end of the chapter.

Reviews are love.

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_Chapter 1: A New Beginning_

April 10, 1912 

"Bill, George's copying me! Make him stop!"

Fred Weasley was the world's biggest whinger, and his incessant complaining was wearing on his eldest brother's nerves.

"No I'm not!" George, Fred's identical twin, replied indignantly. "_You're_ the one who's copying _me_!"

"Both of you, knock it off or so help me Merlin, I will hex both of you into next month," Bill said, glaring at his younger siblings. They were about to protest and demand that he actually do something, but then Charlie, the second oldest but physically biggest Weasley brother, warned them of what terrible fate would befall them if they opened their mouths again.

"And don't think I'm joking, either," he finished menacingly, taking another swig from his glass.

This sobered the twins, and they sat ramrod-straight and silent, lest they ignite Charlie's infamous temper.

"Thanks, Char," Bill mumbled, looking around at his other siblings.

The seven Weasley children were all sitting around two small tables in the 3rd class common room of the RMS Titanic, trying not to attract any unnecessary attention from the Muggles that surrounded them. The ship had set sail less than four hours ago, and the younger ones were already at each other's throats. Bill was dreading the rest of the six-day voyage, and was contemplating a way to somehow make time go faster.

He wished his parents were there, because they were the only two people in the entire world who could successfully keep the Weasley brood in good order. He knew that was impossible, though, as his parents had spent nearly all the family's savings on the six tickets for this voyage. (Ginny, the youngest and smallest child, had to be smuggled on because they hadn't had enough money for her ticket.) Arthur Weasley, their father, had promised to work double shifts at his job to earn enough money for he and his wife to follow after on another ship, and had left Bill in charge of the rest of his children while they crossed the Atlantic. Even though he was 19, Bill still didn't think he was old enough to care for his six younger siblings. In fact, he didn't think he would ever be.

"Bill?"

It was Ginny. She had left her seat, and was begging to sit in her favorite older brother's lap. He obliged, and scooped her up easily. She curled up against him, letting the rest of the world spin around her, completely unconcerned.

"Look over there," Charlie said, pointing across the crowded room. Bill's gaze followed, and he saw a rather pretty blonde girl sitting alone, knitting a scarf out of bright red wool. "Think you can manage this lot?" Charlie asked, making to leave the table, and Bill snorted.

"If you need to bed someone that badly," he said grumpily. Since they had boarded the ship, Charlie had tired his luck with at least six different women. Four of them had turned out to be already married or betrothed, and the last two had been traveling together, and seemed to have no interest in the stocky redhead's amorous advances. It had made Bill chuckle, and Charlie sulk.

Bill watched his younger brother stride across the room and take a seat by the pretty woman. He struck up a conversation easily, because thankfully, the woman knew a bit of English.

The Weasleys had met people of many nationalities on their short time on the ship, most of whom didn't speak English. Charlie was the only one who knew another language, and it was German. (He had intended to go to Nuremberg to work at a dragon reserve there, but Fate had recently conspired otherwise.) This helped a little, but there were still a lot of people who spoke neither German nor English.

"Bill, I'm hungry," Ron, the youngest boy child, said. He was trying not to bother his older brother.

"You'll have to wait, Ron," Bill said, bouncing a now-fidgeting Ginny on his knee. "Dinner's not for another hour or so . . . Just try to be patient."

Ron pouted, and tried to content himself with drawing invisible shapes on the tabletop. After a few minutes, during which Bill managed to drain the last of his drink, Ron looked up and said,

"It's not working. I'm still hungry."

Bill groaned, and was about to snap irritably at his younger sibling when Percy intervened.

"Here, Ron," he said kindly, offering one of the few books he'd brought with him. "You can read this."

Ron looked at the book appraisingly for a second, and then snatched it up, flipping through the pages absently. Bill nodded his thanks to Percy. It was nice to have at least _one_ brother who wasn't a complete hassle.

The next hour passed quietly. Charlie returned after about 20 minutes, informing Bill angrily that the pretty blonde girl was married with two children. He sulked for a while, and then allowed Ron to sit in his lap. The twins fell to laughing and joking between themselves, ignoring the rest of their brothers, save for the occasional poke or prod. Ginny stayed with her eldest brother, curled up and sleepily content, while Percy drummed on the table with his fingers.

Finally, it came time for dinner. Ginny hugged close to her brother while they waited to get their food, hiding her face in his side. Bill had to wonder what had come over her, because she was usually a very outspoken and chatty kid, but then realized they were on an oversized ocean liner full of foreigners, heading towards an uncertain future in an unfamiliar land. He'd be quiet, too.

They sat back down with their food at the same two tables, and no one else joined them. This didn't really bother them, but Bill was worried they were beginning to look suspicious. He wasn't sure if there were any other Wizarding folk on board; there certainly weren't any below decks, and going up to the first class quarters was completely out of the question. He had decided that his family needed to stick together, that it was their only chance of making it to America.

Fred and George remained uncharacteristically quiet during dinner, which led Bill to believe they were planning on doing some serious damage to someone or something in the immediate vicinity. Despite their adamant protests, he hurried them off to their cramped stateroom, which was little more than a hole in the wall with four bunk beds and a sink, just as soon as they'd finished eating. He left Percy to supervise them, which, in hindsight, turned out to be a very bad decision.

Bill came back to find Ginny and Ron curled up in Charlie's lap while the latter tried to catch the eye of another petite blonde woman across the room.

"Watch the lot, I'm going to mingle," Bill said to Charlie, who pulled a look of annoyance at this.

"Why do I have to watch them?" he whined, which was something an 17 year-old Wizard really shouldn't do.

"Because you're their brother, and they're too young to go tramping around here by themselves," Bill replied tetchily, leaving before his brother could get another word in.

A small band, comprised of people from many different countries and traditions, began to tune up, and started playing a lively jig. Bill thought it was amazing that even though the people had never met each other before, they could still connect through the music. All someone had to do was start a tune, and everyone else would join in.

People around him began to pair off and spin merrily around the wide room. Not everyone knew the dances, but that didn't stop them. The common room became a brilliant picture of flying skirts and tapping feet, and Bill was content to just sit back and watch. He'd always considered himself an "intellectual," as opposed to "physical," being, and never really cared much for dancing or sports. He left that to Charlie, who was a very competitive Quidditch player, and Fred and George, who had too much energy to be anything but physical.

As Bill drained his second glass that day, he caught sight of a pretty brunette woman sitting across the room. She was alone, but if Charlie's adventures that day had proved anything, that didn't necessarily mean she was available. He waited for a few minutes, and when no one stopped to talk to her, or even really noticed her, he got up and walked over to her.

She looked up at him as he approached, but she didn't show any emotion or anticipation at his coming. She simply scooted over on the bench so he'd have a place to sit, and went back to watching the people with a detached sort of look.

"What's your name, love?" Bill said slowly, not sure if the woman could even understand him. She turned to face him expectantly.

"What?" she replied politely, and her accent told Bill that English wasn't her first language. "What" was probably one of the few words she knew.

"Do you speak any English?" he asked, making an awkward sort of gesture that might have been confused with a convulsion.

"A . . . a little," the brunette replied, with a strained sort of look.

"Ah," Bill said, and looked around for a distraction. This really couldn't have been more awkward. The girl took a breath, and then said,

"I speak . . . German. Yes, German."

"I've a brother that speaks German. Let me go fetch him," Bill said quickly, and the girl just smiled, a glazed sort of look in her eye. She hadn't understood him.

"Wait here," Bill said, miming with his hands. She raised her eyebrows, but nodded. The redhead walked briskly across the room, and found his younger brother talking with the petite blonde woman from before. Ginny and Ron were sitting at the table with some paper and bits of charcoal, drawing pictures to pass the time.

"Charlie, I need your help," Bill said earnestly. Charlie looked away from the girl, and said stiffly,

"I'm busy."

The blonde woman whispered something to Charlie that made him smirk, and Bill glared.

"It'll take five minutes, honestly," Bill said, trying not to sound desperate. "She only speaks German, and I don't know more than two words-"

"Oh, so we're talking about a lady friend?" the younger Weasley asked, sounding intrigued.

"Yeah," Bill said, knowing he had just given his brother the upper hand. "Please? Just help me find out her name, that's all I want."

"What do you think, Karina?" Charlie said, turning to the blonde in his lap. "Should I help my brother or not?" The woman looked Bill up and down before turning to Charlie and whispering her response. The mischievous glint in her eyes was noted by all. "You're in luck, my friend!" Charlie said, clearly enjoying this whole situation. "She says I should, and I aim to please."

"Right," said the older Weasley, pulling his brother along. "She's over here. I told her to wait, but I don't know if she understood . . . "

Bill found the brunette girl again, and she smiled when she saw him.

"Here," he said, shoving Charlie between them. "Help me."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, winking coquettishly at the brunette.

"Ask her what her name is, where she's from, that sort of thing," Bill said, also trying to win the girl over. Her face was mostly impassive, as though she was pretending not to notice the boys' competition for her affection, but the gleam in her eye gave it all away.

"All right," Charlie said, taking a seat beside the woman. She looked at him anxiously, as though saying, "Well? Get on with it already!"

"Sie müssen meinen Bruder verzeihen," Charlie said quickly, and she perked up at the sound of her native language. "Er ist heute sehr blöd."

"Es macht nichts," the woman replied with a smile, and Bill looked at his brother expectantly.

"Well?" he demanded, sitting on the other side of the woman. "What did she say?"

"I haven't asked her anything yet, hold on," Charlie said, then turned back to the brunette. "Mein Bruder will wissen, was ihr Name sind."

"Ich heisse Annelies," the woman replied, turning and saying it to Bill.

"Annelies?" he repeated, looking to Charlie. "That's her name?"

"Yeah."

"Tell her I think it's pretty."

Charlie rolled his eyes, and said,

"Mein Bruder dacht, dass ihr Name sehr schön ist."

"Danke," Annelies said smartly. "Ich will wissen, was der Name seines Bruders ist."

"Mein Bruder heisst William, aber alles tituliert ihn Bill."

"Are you talking about me?" Bill demanded, having heard what he thought was his name, and realizing that he sounded slightly paranoid. "What are you saying?"

"She wanted to know what your name was, so I told her," Charlie said impatiently. He stood to leave. "Well I think that's all you needed me for, I'm off."

"Wait, you can't leave!" Bill said, making to chase after him. "I can't speak that crazy language, how am I supposed to talk to her?"

"You're a smart kid, you'll figure it out," Charlie said smugly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with Karina . . . Tschüss, Annelies!"

As Annelies waved, Bill sighed wearily, and called after his brother,

"At least try not to wake Fred and George up, will you?"

Charlie waved back at him, saying,

"Will do!"

The eldest Weasley sighed again, and as he settled himself on the bench next to Annelies, he knew it was going to be a very long night.

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German Translation:

_Sie müssen meinen Bruder verzeihen . . . Er ist heute sehr blöd._ – You must excuse my brother. He's being very stupid today.

_Es macht nichts. _– It doesn't matter.

_Mein Bruder will wissen, was ihr Name sind._ – My brother wants to know what your name is.

_Ich heisse Annelies. _– My name is Annelies. (pronounced Anna-lees)

_Ich will wissen, was der Name seines Bruders ist._ – I want to know what your brother's name is.

_Mein Bruder heisst William, aber alles tituliert ihn Bill._ – My brother's name is William, but everyone calls him Bill.


	2. The Importance of Frivolity

**Warnings:** bad language, mature topics, and a language other than English

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, just borrowing.

**A/N:** I really don't hate Charlie. He's my second favorite, which means he gets lots of . . . abuse.

Translations are at the end.

Reviews!!!

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_Chapter 2: The Importance of Frivolity_

_April 11, 1912_

Annelies proved to be an interesting addition to the Weasley dinner table, which, considering that included Fred and George, was really saying something.

Bill had invited her over, via Charlie, after he'd spotted her sitting alone at dinner the evening after he'd met her. Since Charlie had already been seen with more than ten different women, Bill decided it was time for him to claim a few of his own . . . Not in a domineering sort of way, but it a way that would tell his younger sibling to back the hell off.

This was going to be difficult, especially since the woman he was currently courting didn't speak a word of English, and he was the 20th century Shakespeare.

All through supper, Annelies kept making what Bill assumed were snide comments, but since only she and Charlie understood them, he could only guess. One of the younger Weasleys would say something, Annelies would snicker, and then she and Charlie would guffaw about it for a few minutes. (None of the other Weasleys paid much attention to her, even Ginny, who just that afternoon had been complaining that she didn't have any girls to talk to, "just stinky brothers.")

It made Bill jealous to witness the way the two of them carried on, laughing and speaking in clipped tones in their own secret language. After all, hadn't it been _Bill's_ idea to invite her over? Hadn't _he_ been the one who met her first? If all that was true, why was she cavorting around with Charlie the Charmless Wonder, the boy who was never above telling a fart joke in public?

Bill kept trying to catch her eye, and to get his brother to translate for him, but it was all in vain. The younger Weasley was obviously trying to win her over too, and wasn't about to give up his edge. This led to a fairly silent battle of wills that, unfortunately, did not go unnoticed by the object of their affections. Towards the end of supper, Annelies became rather cold to both of them, and chose instead to simply watch and listen.

Bill had the feeling that she was a lot smarter than she let on. She obviously knew how men worked, and Bill guessed that she was going to make the deciding move in who she went with.

As supper ended, and the band tuned up again, Bill stood up and walked purposefully around the table to Annelies. Charlie had insisted she sit near him so he could translate for her, but since he had done nothing of the sort the entire way through dinner, Bill decided his time was up.

"Ask her if she'd like to dance with me," he ordered his younger brother, trying to sound pleasant all the while. He'd discovered that even if Annelies didn't understand what he said, she could still understand his tone.

"And I suppose you two'll just bugger off and leave me with the kids again?" Charlie said by way of an answer, just as cheerily. "No deal. I watched them last night, you're on it tonight."

"Like hell!" Bill chirped. "You got laid last night, I didn't."

"How unfortunate for you then," Charlie said, not having to feign his amusement this time. "I'm not watching them, and I'm not going to ask her."

Annelies had been following the entire exchange, and stood here, taking Bill's arm and smiling innocently. Bill grinned triumphantly at his younger brother.

"I guess you won't have to," he said, leading her away. "Make sure Fred and George stay out of trouble. I had to talk to one of the officers today about something they managed to break; it nearly sank the ship."

As he walked away, Bill thought he heard Charlie mutter something like, "effing wanker," but chose to ignore it.

Once they reached the dance floor, Bill and Annelies immediately began a merry jig. Even though Bill didn't particularly _like_ dancing, he wasn't terrible at it, and having Annelies snuggled against him was extra compensation for having to do something physical.

She was better at it than he was, and spun easily around him and swayed back and forth, pulling him along most times. Some of her hair fell loose from the tight braid she wore it in, and Bill was daring enough to brush it from her face. She laughed at him, and let his hand linger at the base of her neck before pulling away slightly.

Feeling he should say something to her, but knowing she wouldn't understand him, Bill leaned close and whispered,

"I think you're the loveliest thing I've ever met."

"Thank you," she whispered back, and Bill's face raced to match the color of his hair. He wasn't usually so forward, and now she was going to think he was a manwhore like his brother.

"I thought . . . You said," he began awkwardly, but stopped when he saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "So you can understand English?" he asked finally.

"More than you think," she said, still spinning around with the music.

"So . . . if I said I loved you," Bill began slowly, seeing an opportunity and taking it, "What would you say?"

"Ich würde sagen, dass Sie nur das mir sagen, um mit mir zu schlafen," she said quickly, the gleam still dancing in her eyes. She was either too embarrassed to say this in English, or honestly didn't know how.

"Come again?" Bill said, having caught a few words, but missed the important ones.

"Ich hab' gesagt, dass Sie nur mit mir schlafen wollen," Annelies told him, leaning in closer and laying her head on his shoulder. Bill still didn't understand. He was about to go running to Charlie, but decided better of it.

He didn't need his brother to translate. He could get by on his own.

"That's right," Bill said, and felt awkward when Annelies laughed into his jacket.

Apparently, he had just confirmed something amusing.

Charlie came up to them then, followed by what had to be his twelfth blonde lady friend, and tapped Bill on the shoulder.

"What?" he said peevishly, suspecting where this conversation would go.

"I really need you to watch the others," his brother said in what he obviously thought was a polite voice. " . . . Please."

"No," Bill said firmly. "If you need it that badly, just wait until they all go to bed and then find someone else's room. I want a night to myself, thank you."

"You had one last night," Charlie argued, trying to keep the blonde girl from climbing all over him. It was quite clear that she wanted the younger Weasley as much as he wanted her.

"I don't care," Bill said. "You're not leaving them alone, and that's the end of it. Now go away . . . Please."

Charlie gave him a death glare that was eerily akin to the ones their mother used, and stalked off, dragging the insistent blonde behind him.

Bill turned back to Annelies to find that she was laughing into his jacket again, and he remembered what she'd said about understanding more than she let on.

"Charlie ist eager, ja?" she said slyly, managing to mix English and German, and wrapped her arms around Bill's neck before leaning against him. They were both still swaying to the beat of the music, but were very far from dancing.

"Yeah, well, he's always been that way, I guess," he replied, being audacious and looping his arms around her waist. "It's just the way the Weasleys are."

Annelies smiled, and stood on tiptoes to reach up and plant a small kiss on Bill's lips.

"I like you," she said simply, but Bill guessed she meant something a little more.

"How much?" he asked, pulling harder on her waist. She kissed him again and said,

"Enough . . . Ist your room empty?"

"It should be, why?" Bill tried to sound innocent, but failed fantastically.

"Gehen wir da," she said, pointing towards the corridor that led to the staterooms.

Bill didn't need a translation for that.

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German Translation:

_Ich würde sagen, dass Sie nur das mir sagen, um mit mir zu schlafen._ – I would say that you're just saying that to get me in bed. (lit. "sleep with me")

_Ich hab' gesagt, dass Sie nur mit mir schlafen wollen._ – I said that you only want to sleep with me.


End file.
